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Handloom clothes must be treated with care while wearing and storing them as they are prone to corrosion and discolouration from the environment.
When dealing with delicate handlooms, it is important to wash them correctly to preserve it for future use.
Handloom fabrics are frequently passed down through families and require significant emotional and financial investment. These textiles include beautiful motifs and elaborate decorations, transforming a simple garment into an attractive one. Despite their beauty, these finespun fabrics are incredibly sensitive. They must be treated with extreme caution while wearing and keeping them. They are prone to corrosion and discolouration from the environment, making maintenance difficult.
Right Way To Wash a Handloom
Cotton: Soak new cotton handloom fabrics in saltwater for 15-20 minutes to lock in the colours and avoid bleeding during subsequent washes. Hot water can cause cotton to shrink or lose its brightness. Use cold water and be careful. Choose mild liquid detergents
over harsh ones, which can roughen fibres and degrade colours over time. If you must machine wash, use a mesh bag and set the cycle to gentle. Machine agitation over time can put a strain on delicate weaves.
Silk: Always hand-wash silk because it deserves to be treated gently. Hand wash in cool water with a pinch of gentle shampoo or silk-friendly detergent. Don’t soak silk for too long. A quick, gentle soak is sufficient to refresh it. Avoid wringing or rinsing
too vigorously, as this might weaken the silk fibres. Instead, gently press the water with your palms or a soft towel.
Wool: Dry cleaning is the safest option for wool handlooms, especially fragile Pashminas. If you must wash, do it by hand with cold water. Rather than scrubbing, dab minor stains with a moist cloth and little detergent to prevent pilling.
How To Correctly Dry Handloom?
Drying your handloom clothes may seem straightforward, but a little caution goes a long way. Here’s how you can dry them without hurting the cloth. Sunlight may steal the colour and vitality from handlooms, so always dry them in the shade. Drying in the shade
helps to preserve colour and texture. To minimise stretching and loss of shape in wool textiles such as shawls, dry them flat on a towel. Turn colourful items inside-out to prevent colour fading from the sunshine.
March 05, 2026, 16:34 IST
